Search Specialist

We’re on the hunt for a success-driven Search Specialist to lead our search strategy and execution across a portfolio of key clients.

You’ll be a proven search expert – someone with deep hands-on experience in both SEO and SEM, and a track record of delivering real results. You’ll bring a sharp commercial lens, an innate understanding of how to optimise both paid and organic channels, and ideally some broader digital or social media know-how. Most importantly, you’ll be a trusted specialist who thrives on performance and delivering tangible outcomes for clients.

In this role, you’ll take the lead on search across a range of clients – developing strategy, overseeing delivery, and supporting a Search Executive (focused primarily on organic). You’ll be confident working directly with clients, but also supported by our Performance Director, who will step in to lead where needed. We’re looking for someone proactive, organised, calm under pressure, and a natural communicator.

While wider digital media experience is a bonus, the core of the role is excellence in search – backed by collaboration and a passion for work that drives growth.

Role and Responsibilities

You will be reporting into the Performance Director and supported by a skilled media team, which means you get to focus on what you do best;

• Lead strategic planning across all paid and organic search campaigns, aligned with client objectives.
• Oversee execution and optimisation – ensuring best practice delivery and continuous improvement via testing and iteration.
• Collaborate with the wider digital team on integrated campaigns, including input into media, creative, and content strategies.
• Keep both agency and clients informed on emerging trends, search innovation, and performance insights.
• Build strong relationships with platforms and tech partners to unlock early access to tools and features.
• Deliver robust performance reporting, providing insight and clear recommendations to improve ROI and KPIs.

Requirements

• 4–6+ years of client-facing experience in search marketing.
• Strong working knowledge of SEO, SEM, Google Ads, GA4, and Google Tag Manager. Experience with Meta and programmatic is a bonus.
• Highly analytical and data-driven, with a creative mindset for testing and optimisation.
• Proven ability to plan, execute, and evolve campaigns across all stages of the customer journey.
• Up-to-date with the latest trends, technologies, and best practices in search marketing.

Benefits

What You’ll Love About Working Here

YoungShand is an independent agency with big ambitions and a collaborative spirit. Our size means you won’t be boxed into one account or siloed by department – you’ll work closely across our full client portfolio, helping shape bold, meaningful campaigns for some of New Zealand’s most ambitious challenger brands.

Our fully integrated model brings together strategy, creative, design, digital, production, media, and client service – all under one roof – giving you true end-to-end involvement in the work and a chance to make a bigger impact.

We’re proud to grow brands that speak to all New Zealanders. That’s why we actively champion diversity, equity and inclusion – both in our team and in the work we create.

At YoungShand, we also believe in creating a workplace that works for people. That means flexible working, summer hours, and a culture that supports creativity, balance and doing work we can all be proud of.

This is an exciting opportunity to be part of the next chapter in our growth – helping shape where we’re going and having a lot of fun along the way.

Note: While we partner with recruitment agencies, we always prioritise direct applicants first. If you’re interested, we’d love to hear from you directly.